Hillary Clinton Goes On Broad City

Hillary Clinton Learns About Pegging On Broad City

If you met Hillary Clinton, would you tell her that you pegged a guy? Abbi does just that on the latest episode of Broad City that aired on March 16. Abbi's disclosure, of course, begs the question: Is Clinton familiar with the concept of pegging? Did Abbi and Ilana explain it to her on set? But I digress.

Clinton's cameo on the episode is short and sweet, running just a little longer than the initial clip released. But the show does not suddenly decide to get prim and proper around her.

Most of the half hour is just like any other Broad City episode. Abbi has to go to the DMV — portrayed as a place akin to Beetlejuice's Neitherworld — to get her license renewed. Meanwhile, Ilana is on the hunt for a job after being fired from Deals Deals Deals. She scores a gig as a bike messenger, and ends up delivering something to the Clinton campaign. While there, she is suddenly struck by a patriotic spirit. So she asks for employment. But, just because she’s working for Clinton does not mean Ilana suddenly gets professional. During a meeting, she sits perched on a chair and shouts, “Yas!” She spontaneously orgasms upon learning that Clinton has won a Grammy. (Clinton did! For Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album in 1996.) Ilana immediately frustrates the campaign manager running the show, played by Cynthia Nixon. (Aside from Clinton, the list of guest stars in this episode is fantastic: There’s Nixon, Rachel Dratch, and Alan Alda.)

The show nicely plays around with some of the sexist crap that gets thrown Hillary’s way. Nixon’s character explains that, when cold-calling, “we do not answer questions on makeup, bras, panties.” She also gives some “answers to some common questions” people working for the campaign are posed with: “No, Hillary does not cry at the office. Yes, Hillary can read a map. No, Hillary will not enforce male birth control or male pregnancy as that is not a thing. And no, Hillary is not a witch.” Ilana is baffled, and asks whether these are really questions the campaign gets. “Every day," Nixon says. She then slams her palm on the desk: "EVERY DAY.” (Sadly, that's probably at least partly true.)

So Ilana performs her job with relish and Ilana-esque flare — that is, until she learns that it's an unpaid volunteer gig and quits. But before she goes, Ilana shows Abbi around the place, and sure enough, there is Clinton herself. When Abbi and Ilana have finally stopped with all the nervous, overjoyed laughter — and Abbi has told the presidential candidate that she penetrated a man with a dildo, though not in such explicit terms — Ilana vows to tweet once a week, “Vote for Hillary. Yas. Yas. Yas.” You see, while Ilana may have suddenly become a political activist, she's going to do it in her own way. Whereas Nixon's no-nonsense character rolls her eyes at Ilana's unorthodox methods and use of the phrase "yas," Clinton approves. In fact, Clinton explains that she has her own way to get people pumped: One of those AirDancers you find outside of car dealerships. “Isn’t she great?” Clinton says. (“Of course,” Ilana responds. “We assumed it was a he.”) Getting one of those things is exactly something Ilana might do.

Broad City's take on Clinton is that she is a kindred spirit to the show's heroines — someone who is not only powerful and determined, but embraces the weird in life.

It's almost too perfect that earlier this week, a Broad City GIF was the best response to Joe Scarborough's tweet that Clinton should "smile."